More than 50,000 women especially from the poor and disadvantaged communities have become self-reliant after ending their long-lasting poverty and hunger in Rajshahi city.

Currently, all of them have changed their lot through multifarious income-generating activities like paper bag making, sewing, embroidery and block boutique and they attained knowledge on how to cut poverty and hunger and to contribute the society to some extent.

"Nowadays, our work pressure has been enhanced to a greater extent as there is no shop and service-delivery centre where the paper-bags aren't being used at present," said Radha Rani Halder of the fishermen community.

Like Radha Rani Halder, many of her neighborhood women are now passing their sleepless night as their works were enhanced remarkably ahead of the forthcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.

Taking advantage of the situation, most of the housewives of the community are making paper-bags along with their family members for some extra income.

According to demand of the owners, they make bags of all sizes with much sincerity and eagerness but their earning is very scanty. "We got 15/20 taka after making every 100 bags and we hardly make 300 bags per day," said Basanti Rani Halder.

"First of all, I got a grant of 4,500 taka from a development project of Rajshahi City Corporation around two years back and since then I have been doing the work with assistance," she added.

In addition to uplifting her skills, she has learnt the means of eradicating poverty and hunger in the days ahead.

RCC has implemented the "Urban Partnership for Poverty Reduction Project (UPPRP)" aimed at improving the living and livelihood condition of around three lakh poor and extreme poor people, especially women and girls, of the metropolis.

Razen Mardee, UPPRP community organiser, said various measures of extending supports were adopted to free the disadvantaged community from the vicious circle of poverty under the project.

"We have formed Jelepara Community Development Committee with 985 people of the community including 

353 women and 210 children under 168 families in a bid to mainstreaming them," he stated.

They, so far, saved around Tk 47,000 from their daily incomes, disbursed Tk 63,000 as loan among 13 small business women and recovered Tk 23,000 against the disbursed money.

Grants of Tk 1.12 lakh were disbursed among 25 women for operating small-business while another grant of Tk 67,500 were disbursed among 15 students to facilitate their academic activities under the socio-economic fund.

Urban food production inputs and some other necessary supports were extended to 25 families to ensure their food security. In addition to commissioning two deep tubewells, 15 community latrines were constructed for ensuring their safe drinking water and hygienic sanitation under the settlement improvement fund.

"We have earned some successes in different livelihood aspects like safe drinking water, sanitation, education, health, reduction of violence against women and reduction of early marriage with the financial and infrastructural support but totally failed to say no against dowry," said Anita Rani Halder, secretary of the CDC.